Freescale Semiconductor introduced an analog dual-path battery charger for wearable and portable Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The single-cell, Li-Ion and Li-Polymer BC3770 charger is fully programmable, features a small form factor and supports fast charging for portable embedded systems, such as those based on Freescale’s popular i.MX applications processors and Kinetis microcontroller (MCU) products.
The new BC3770 addresses market demand for rapid charging, long battery life and uninterrupted portable operation, while incorporating features that help OEMs and systems designers avoid device overcharge and overheating. The BC3770 charger and boost regulator circuits switch at 1.5 MHz to minimize the size of external passive components, thus improving efficiency, saving space and reducing cost. In addition, the product’s charging parameters and operating modes are fully programmable over an I²C interface that operates up to 400 kHz, allowing for highly optimized solutions.
“Charging has become more demanding as the IoT drives a rapid increase in the number and variety of connected, battery-powered devices,” said James Bates, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale’s analog & sensors group. “Freescale’s new BC3770 offers the programmability, integration and efficiency OEMs need to keep pace with demand for new IoT applications, including wearable devices, wireless game controllers and mobile point of sale terminals. The seamless integration of Freescale’s power management, MCU and applications processor portfolios delivers a complete solution that speeds and simplifies the creation of increasingly complex battery-powered IoT devices.”
Freescale’s new battery charger features a 20 V tolerant single input, and charges the battery with a current up to 2.0 A, supporting simultaneous charging and application use. To help streamline system development, a BC3770 Freescale Freedom board is available featuring a Kinetis KL25Z microcontroller with example interface software and GUI.
Additional features include:
-Dual-path output powers system while charging the battery
-25-bump 2.27 mm x 2.17 mm wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP)
-900mA boost mode charging for USB OTG
-Supports single cell Li-ion and Li-polymer batteries
-High-efficiency synchronous switching regulator
-1.5 MHz switching frequency
-Programmable interface to monitor different charging modes
Software and development support
Freescale offers highly customized development technology to help customers streamline product development and fully optimize target silicon. An evaluation board compatible with the Freescale Freedom development board (FRDM-BC3770EVB) is available for a suggested resale price of $149 (USD).
Availability and pricing
The BC3770 battery charger is available now in production quantities from Freescale and authorized distributors worldwide. Suggested resale price for the charger is $1.04 (USD) in 10,000-unit quantities.
PDF
